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Starcade
Starcade is a game show where contestants competed against one another by playing arcade video games. The series originally aired on WTBS from 1982 to 1983, followed by a run in syndication for the following season. In 2013, Buena Vista Television, in association with the JM Production Company, announced plans to relaunch the series. The series was first hosted by Mark Richards. Geoff Edwards replaced Richards after the first 23 shows, and continued until the show's cancellation. In 2013, Starcade returned and Faith Ford (from Hope & Faith and Murphy Brown) is the host of the revived series. Broadcast History Starcade was produced by JM Production Company for Ted Turner to air on WTBS and later syndication by Turner Program Services (TPS). Starcade was the first to be a video arcade game show, and set the blueprint for similar game shows like Video Power, Nick Arcade, and Arena. The show was used to showcase brand new arcade games. Shortly after the series' cancellation, a second JM-produced video arcade game show, The Video Game, was aired for a brief period from 1984 to 1985. Starcade aired in repeats on the G4 network from its inception in 2002 to 2004, shortly before its merger with Tech TV. In 2013, Buena Vista Television and JM Productions announced plans of reviving the series and named Faith Ford as the host of the series. Format In the exact same format as how the original 1980s series was played, two players (or teams; age-regardless) compete. Three rounds are played. Each round begins with a video arcade-game related toss-up question. The player who buzzes in and answers correctly chooses one of five free-standing arcade games in the studio and is given 40 seconds (later 60, then 50; in the revived version, it's 60 seconds) to amass as high a score as possible. The opponent then plays the same game, and whatever points the players earned are added to their overall scores. If a player's game ends before time runs out, the turn ends immediately and the player is credited with whatever points they have earned. The second and third rounds are played identically, with 45 seconds game playing time for the second round, and 30 seconds for the third. Once a game is chosen for play in any round, it can not be chosen again. At the end of the second round (and third at the start of the series), the player in the lead plays "Name the Game," attempting to identify four arcade games by screenshots. The player wins a prize for correctly identifying at least three of the games. One of the five games is the "mystery game," which awards a prize to the player who chooses it in any of the three rounds. The player in the lead at the end of the third and final round wins the game and a bonus prize, and moves on to the bonus round. Bonus Round The player selects one of the two games that have not yet been played, and is given 30 seconds to beat the average score of 20 other players on that game. If the player does so, he/she wins the day's grand prize, which consists of either an arcade game, a home entertainment robot, a jukebox, or even a vacation (in certain "invitational" episodes). Stations airing Starcade If your station wishes to air Starcade, feel free to add your station on the list. Take note, however that the list is in alphabetical order. Category:Game Show Category:Buena Vista Television Category:Syndication Category:Syndicated Program